Chris Hooten Consulting
Affirming
Workplace inclusion facilitator and advisor on gender inclusion and neurodiversity for organizations.
Employment
Trans-friendly employers, resume support, workplace discrimination help, unemployment claims, and what to do when work isn't safe.
It is illegal in Oregon to discriminate at work based on gender identity, and employers cannot ask about criminal history before an interview. Whether you need a trans-friendly employer, resume help, or to push back on a workplace that is not safe, the paths and resources below can help, many of them free and available by county.
Good to know
- Oregon law protects you from job discrimination based on gender identity, and repeated misgendering can count as illegal.
- Employers cannot ask about criminal history before an interview; in Portland, not until after a job offer.
- WERQ keeps a directory of vetted, trans-affirming employers hiring for entry-level roles.
Fund your move to Oregon
The moves that work start with a financial floor. Around $3,000 is the number WERQ TOGETHER has seen hold across 80+ relocations: enough for move costs, your first month of housing...
Getting back on your feet after release from prison or jail
The first few weeks after release are the hardest. This path covers what to prioritize: day one (check-in, housing, phone), first week (ID, OHP, SNAP), and the first month (reentry...
Moving to Oregon as a trans person
Oregon is one of the most trans-affirming states in the country, OHP covers gender-affirming care as a legal right, name and gender marker changes require no surgery and no physici...
Find a job in Portland
Looking for work is hard enough, and doing it as a trans person while also juggling housing, money, and everything else is a lot. This path breaks the job search into clear steps....
Applying to college or university in Oregon
Whether you're thinking about community college, a trade program, or a four-year university, Oregon has options, and more financial support than most people realize. This path walk...
Updating your resume for 2026
The job market has changed. AI screening, skills-based hiring, and remote work have shifted what employers look for and how they find you. This path walks you through refreshing or...
myGwork
Affirming
Global LGBTQ+ talent network and job board connecting queer professionals with inclusive employers, plus mentorship and networking.
Outside In
AffirmingSliding scale
FQHC for youth 16 to 24 with HRT, primary care, ID Project, employment, and housing services.
Queer Outdoors
Affirming
Free LGBTQ+ job board for outdoor and environmental work across North America, from trail crews to conservation nonprofits.
BeginRight Employment Services
Staffing service that offers employment help to people with felony convictions on a case-by-case basis, based out of Clackamas with four Oregon locations.
Community Access Services
Oregon nonprofit providing supported living, employment, and day services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Constructing Hope
Free construction pre-apprenticeship training and reentry support, including help clearing Oregon records and getting a driver's license.
CoolWorks
National job board for seasonal work in great places like national parks and ski resorts, with many roles that include housing.
Dave's Killer Bread (Second Chance Employer)
Second-chance employer with an Oregon bakery that openly hires people with criminal records.
Dress for Success Oregon
Employment support and professional attire for women and gender-expansive people seeking economic independence.
Express Employment Professionals
Staffing agency placing people in full-time, part-time, and temporary jobs, with assistance for those who have felony convictions.
Goodwill Job Connection
Free Goodwill job help centers offering resume support, job search, and placement, open to people with records.
Hire Source Staffing Services
Independently owned staffing service for the Portland and Vancouver area offering background-friendly and THC-friendly positions.
Integrity Infrastructure (Second Chance Employer)
Portland-area employer open to hiring people with criminal records.
Meadowlark Employment Services
Nonprofit providing free job coaching, career exploration, and placement for adults with disabilities across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Metropolitan Family Service
Long-running Portland-area nonprofit offering free food markets, free tax prep, financial coaching, and older-adult support.
MOD Pizza (Second Chance Employer)
Restaurant chain known for second-chance hiring, including people with criminal records.
NW Staffing Resources
Staffing agency offering temp, temp-to-hire, and direct placement, with help for people with certain felony convictions on a case-by-case basis.
Onward Eugene
Free entrepreneurship support for Lane County businesses, including women-focused pitch competitions and workshops.
Opportunity Oregon
Lane County reentry program that runs candidates through skills and reintegration training, then places them with second-chance employers.
Oregon Tradeswomen
Pre-apprenticeship training and job placement helping women and gender-diverse people build careers in the skilled trades.
p:ear
Creative mentorship for young people experiencing homelessness, ages 15 to 25, through art, education, recreation, and job training.
Paid Leave Oregon
State program offering paid family, medical, and safe leave with partial wage replacement and job protection for eligible Oregon workers.
Pallet
Living-wage manufacturer that builds shelters and strongly encourages applicants with justice-system, substance-use, or homelessness experience; offers workforce housing.
POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson High School)
Culturally specific education, career training, and wraparound support for at-risk youth and adults affected by poverty, homelessness, and reentry.
Point of Pride
Free
Trans-led national nonprofit providing direct financial aid to trans and non-binary people for gender-affirming and wellness needs (surgery, HRT, electrolysis, and more). By and for trans folks.
Portland Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
Member-run union organizing workers across any industry to win better conditions and build workplace power.
PrideStaff Portland West
Staffing agency offering free access to temp, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire jobs plus interview coaching, with felony help case-by-case.
Rapid Response Bio Clean (Second Chance Employer)
Portland-area biohazard cleanup company that hires people with criminal records.
SE Works
Career center offering free training, resume help, and job referrals, with services for people who were formerly incarcerated and youth ages 16 to 24.
Second Chance Employers, Multnomah County
Free
Employers and programs in the Portland metro area with explicit commitments to hiring people with criminal records, plus key legal protections under Portland's ban-the-box ordinance.
Street Roots
Weekly street newspaper that lets people experiencing homelessness earn income, and publisher of the Rose City Resource guide.
United Salad Co. (Second Chance Employer)
Portland produce wholesaler that does not require background checks for warehouse positions.
Voz Workers' Rights Education Project
Worker-led day labor center connecting immigrant workers to jobs and organizing for fair, dignified work.
Washman Car Wash and Auto Spa (Second Chance Employer)
Portland-area car wash chain that hires people with criminal records.
WERQ TOGETHER Employer Directory
WERQ TOGETHER's directory of Portland-area employers hiring for entry-level roles, with direct links to current openings and trans-affirming workplace signals.
WERQ TOGETHER Employment Resources
A curated database of job boards, free employment-support programs, staffing agencies, career-clothing closets, and know-your-rights resources for trans job seekers in the Portland area.
Work Incentives Network (WIN)
Free Oregon benefits counseling that helps people on SSI or SSDI understand how working affects their benefits, delivered through Centers for Independent Living.
WorkSource Portland Metro
Free
Free employment services for Portland metro residents, resume coaching, job placement, vocational training scholarships, and the STEP program for SNAP recipients.
Xcelerate Women
Statewide business coaching, mentorship, and growth education for women and gender-expansive entrepreneurs.
Safety and fit
Employment resources vary by county and eligibility. If results are thin, add a resource so the commons can improve.
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